


Daring Ruby, Dashing Gold

by MagicalMxMalin



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Discord: Widojest Love, Introverts unite, Marion and Yussa’s best detective agency, Multi, Rare Pairings, Strangers to Lovers, Widojest - Freeform, Yuby, but only this one case because they just want to go home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalMxMalin/pseuds/MagicalMxMalin
Summary: Marion Lavorre finds herself on a search for the Mighty Nein, who seem to have vanished, and along for the ride is mysterious Elvish wizard and fellow hermit Yussa Errenis. Will these unlikely allies find the lost adventurers, and perhaps forge a new friendship... or even something more?
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast, Marion Lavorre/Yussa Errenis
Comments: 25
Kudos: 73





	1. A Ruby in Need

**Chapter One**

“Maaaaaaamaaaaaa!”

The lively voice of her daughter sounding in her head never failed to make Marion’s heart jump in both worry and relief. Worry for whatever shenanigans Jester and the others might have gotten up to, and relief that said shenanigans had yet to result in something… unfortunate happening to her little sapphire. Much as she tried to hide it, worrying about Jester galavanting off into the dripping maw of some dangerous beast often kept Marion lying awake when she should have been getting her beauty sleep.

“Cayleb is bringing me home because this is my last spell today, meet us at Tidepeak Tower in twenty minutes, okay I love youuuuu.”

Marion blinked and slowly replied, “Jester, it’s so good to hear your voice. I… suppose I can meet you. I know you wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.” She counted the words in her head, and added. “Love you.” Learning to keep messages to twenty five words was a little frustrating, but worth being able to keep in touch with her only child.

_Tidepeak Tower…_

Marion looked out her window, craning her neck to catch sight of the soaring structure. Jester had told her about the tower and something about an Elvish wizard who lived there? She had mostly talked about the goblin assistant and the magical items they had brought with them to the tower, only giving a vague description of the owner. Marion tried to remember his name… Yu-something. Yunaris? Marion had no idea why her daughter wanted her to meet at the tower instead of coming to the Chateau, but since Jester knew how much of a struggle it would be for Marion to leave the safety of her home, she trusted there was a reason. She hadn’t told Jester yet, but she had been going on little excursions, hoping that, someday, she might be able to surprise her daughter with a visit to one of the far-flung locations Jester had talked about so dreamily. Her daughter always seemed to end her stories with “I wish you could have seen it Mama!” And Marion found that she really wished she could see some of these fascinating places too.

If there was one thing Marion Lavorre had learned over her long career as a performer, it was complete mastery of the quick change. In no time at all, she was dressed casually (for her) and calling for Bluud to have her small coach brought to the side door. Her bodyguard helped her into the coach, and Marion settled into the lush, heavily padded seat.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” Bluud asked, and Marion reached to pat the minotaur’s shoulder.

“I’ll be fine, Bluud, thank you.” He didn’t look convinced, but closed her door and nodded to the driver. They were off. It was only a short time before they reached the tower, and Marion stepped hesitantly from the coach and slowly approached the imposing thing. There was no door in sight, so she wandered around… and around… until she had circled the entire thing and there just wasn’t a single door or even a window.

 _Magic,_ Marion sighed to herself. She looked around. There was no one in sight, and her driver had parked the coach a little ways down the road, so she cleared her throat and called, “Um… hello? I’m here for Jester? I’m her mother.”

Silence.

Marion was starting to wonder if this was some sort of prank (gods knew her daughter was a little too fond of such things) when a voice came from above her.

“You must mean the young lady who never remembers to inform me when she and her noisy companions will be descending upon me like a flock of crows.”

Marion looked up, and there, high on a balcony, was a man staring down at her. Marion dipped her head. “I apologize, sir, for any trouble my daughter may have caused you. She is forgetful, but she has a good heart, even if one a bit over-full of laughter and mischief.” She glanced up. “As her mother, I am happy to make it up to you.”

The man sighed. “Just take them off my hands once they get here. I assume they’ll be arriving soon?”

“That was what I was told.” Marion started a bit as a door suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Come up, then,” the man called. “I’m not so petty that I would leave you to wait outside.”

Marion opened the door to reveal a twisting spiral staircase. She began to climb, and soon reached a wide room full of shelves meticulously cataloged with many strange and wondrous things that caught her eye. There was a hint of movement as what she assumed was the man who had spoken to her entered the room.

As the Ruby of the Sea, Marion Lavorre had seen men of nearly every origin and background. Handsome men, plain men, kind men and cruel. This man was still somehow unique. He was strikingly beautiful, yes, but Marion had seen her share of pretty Elves. He had a… quality about him, though. Something that made her look a little closer, a little longer, than she normally would. She must have been staring, because the man cleared his throat and extended a hand. She realized in that moment that he was shorter than she was, his lean frame and the way he carried himself casting an illusion of greater stature than he possessed.

“Yussa Errenis,” he said, voice slightly strained. “How do you do?”

Marion took the proffered hand and inclined her head. “Marion Lavorre,” she replied. Yussa nodded and withdrew his hand, averting his eyes and seeming to look everywhere but directly at Marion.

“So… do you have any idea when your daughter is arriving?” he finally asked, and Marion realized it was past the time Jester had said they would arrive by.

“I- I’m not sure, they should have been here by now.” Was Jester alright? Were they just running a little late? Had something happened?

_Calm down, Marion, it’s only been a few minutes._

“Of course,” Yussa sighed, reaching to rub his temple. His waves of short, shimmering white hair fell across his forehead, making him suddenly look slightly more boyish than the image of a distinguished mage he’d presented. Marion had the odd impulse to reach out and muss his hair further, which she quickly quashed. Jester would surely tease her about this if she knew.

“You’re welcome to take a seat,” Yussa said, gesturing to a small table and chairs that Marion was sure had not been there before. There was a steaming pot of tea and a tray of tiny sandwiches and cakes. Elegant bone china teacups delicately painted with pink stargazer lilies and deep purple irises sat in front of each chair, and with a wave of his hand, two slid away from the table. Marion seated herself, the chair moving smoothly up to the edge of the table as Yussa poured a cup of tea for each of them.

“These cups are beautiful,” Marion said, running a finger over the design. “Hope and devotion,” she murmured.

“You know the language of flowers, then?” She looked up to see Yussa stirring his tea, golden eyes focused on the swirling amber liquid.

“Yes, I had a friend who used to send me messages disguised as little bouquets,” she said, remembering fondly the young florist who had once supplied the Chateau with fresh flowers. “It’s been some years since they moved away, though, so I haven’t had occasion to use it for much.” Yussa didn’t respond, which was fine with Marion, and they sipped their tea in silence. But as the minutes dragged on into an hour and the tea had gone cold with no sign of her daughter, Marion began to worry again.

“I apologize for the inconvenience,” she said softly, fiddling with the sleeves of her dress. “They really should have been here by now.” Yussa frowned, pursing his lips for a moment.

“I… suppose I could contact them.”

Marion looked up hopefully. “Oh, I wouldn’t wish to bother you further,” she began, but he waved a hand.

“Nonsense. There’s no need to keep ourselves sitting here in suspense.” He tilted his head a bit, and spoke aloud, “Miss Lavorre, I have you mother here. Where are you? You shouldn’t keep her waiting with a stranger like this.” He waited for a moment, Marion watching him anxiously, and his forehead creased just a touch.

“There… there was no response,” he said, his tone carefully clipped and measured. Marion could see him calculating something in his mind, and he spoke aloud again. “Mr. Widogast, you were expected quite some time ago. Madam Lavorre is worried. What is keeping you?”

Again there was a long silence and the crease in his brow deepened. “Odd… very odd.” He looked at Marion. “Do you know where they are, what they’re doing?”

Marion clasped her hands together and scrambled to try and remember what Jester had said the last time she had sent her an update. “They were in Zadash last I heard, um-” She tried to control her breathing as it began to spiral.

_Think, Marion, think. What were they doing?_

“She told me they would be in the city for a few days. She was going to stop in and say hello to her father.” Marion covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh… what if-”

Yussa raised a hand. “Madam, I can see you are upset, but I beg you not to despair or think the worst. Your daughter and the others are a formidable little band.”

Marion bit her lip. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I just… something feels wrong. It’s not like either of them to not respond.”

Yussa tapped his chin with one tapered finger. “Do you have a way to contact your… partner?”

“No, no I haven’t heard from him since before Jester was born,” Marion said. “I know she said he is involved in some very… unsavory things. Oh, I hope he’s not put her in danger!” Marion felt a hint of anger spark in her chest. “If he has, I will throttle him myself.” Yussa blinked, and Marion barely noted the ghost of a smile that flitted across his face. He stood, shaking out the flowing sleeves of his elegant robes and extended a hand to her yet again.

“I’m having a lull in my work today,” he said. “So I can spare some time. Come, I’ll take you to Zadash.”

“Zadash?” Marion looked about frantically. “Now?”

“Unless you’d prefer to just go home,” Yussa shrugged. “It looked to me as if you were quite concerned. Apologies if I was mistaken.”

“No,” Marion caught his hand in both of hers. “No, you were right. I’m very worried.” She took a deep breath and stood. “Let’s go. I’ll send a message back with my driver so my bodyguard won’t come looking for me.”

“My assistant is out running errands about town today, so I will send and ask him to inform your driver when he returns.” Yussa glanced down to where she still held onto his hand, and Marion felt her face heat a bit as she quickly dropped it. “Well, let’s be off then.”

Marion stood and watched as the mage walked to a desk and gathered up a few things into a pouch that he tucked into a hidden pocket in his robe. “Have you traveled via teleportation before?” Yussa asked, and she shook her head.

“I rarely leave the Chateau,” she admitted. “Let alone the city.”

Yussa gave a short laugh.“It seems we have that in common,” he said. “The last time I left the tower was… well, it’s been quite some time. But not to worry, all this requires is a spell, and magic is the very breath in my lungs.” He waved Marion over.

“All I need from you is your willingness and proximity,” he said. “Are you ready?”

Marion swallowed, feeling her hands clench to keep from shaking.

“Ready.”

The mage began a low, rhythmic incantation and the space around them lit up, Marion grabbing his arm as everything faded in the brilliance of the golden light that seemed to envelop them. The sudden sensation of being _pulled_ and almost falling wiped everything else from her mind, and she clapped her hands over her mouth as the world around her reappeared, unfamiliar and spinning a bit. Or was that in her head? Her stomach rolled, but she managed to keep her tea from coming back up. She straightened, giving Yussa a quivering smile.

“That was… unpleasant, but efficient?” she remarked, and the corner of the mage’s mouth turned up just a bit.

“Apologies, it’s been so many years since I experienced it, I forgot to warn you about the nausea,” he said. “Are you alright?”

“I think so.” Marion looked around. They appeared to be standing in a field not far from some city walls. A trickle of people made their way in and out of the gate by way of a road that passed by the edge of the field, and Yussa pointed towards it.

“That will take you into the city and if you ask around, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a group of troublemakers like the Might Nein.” He snorted. “Gods only know what they’re meddling with this time.”

Marion’s eyes went wide. He was going to just… leave her here? In a field outside of a strange city? She felt the panic reaching for her again as images of the roiling masses jammed together inside of the city flashed through her mind. She didn’t register when Yussa started speaking to her, or started to walk away. She didn’t see when he paused to look over his shoulder, sighed, and came back.

“So, I’ve had a thought.” His voice was unexpectedly soft, if carrying a note of resignation. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve been in Zadash, I’m sure things have changed drastically. But I was once very familiar with this place, and I still have several excellent contacts.” He shrugged. “Besides, I owe your daughter and her friends my life, and I’d like to square that debt if possible. I’m not keen on being beholden to anyone. So,” he offered his arm. “What do you say? Shall I accompany you?”

Marion felt her heart begin to slow, pulse relaxing back into its normal rhythm, and she slipped her arm through the mage’s. “How kind of you,” she said. “I believe I shall take you up on that offer.”

And so together, they turned their steps towards the city gates.

(Please enjoy the fan art I made especially for this fic)


	2. To Zadash!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search begins. Marion is Wonderful and Yussa is Flustered.

Yussa Errenis wasn’t quite sure how or why he had gotten himself into this situation. One moment he had been going about his daily life, contentedly researching and experimenting in his comfortable towers, and he next he was escorting one of the most famous courtesans in Wildemount into a city he hadn’t set foot in for decades on a search for a group of adventurers that were the embodiment of chaos.

_Why?_ he wondered as they headed for the city gates. _I could have just left. I could have been home in my tower by now but instead I am heading into fucking Zadash because I… what, felt badly about leaving Madam Lavorre alone?_

Much as he might have insisted that he owed the Mighty Nein (and he actually did) and that this excursion would count as repayment of a debt (which it would), he had to admit that he was mostly walking this dubious path because he was fairly sure that Madam Lavorre had an acute case of agoraphobia. And because he would bet his life that her tiny, terrifyingly mischievous daughter would make his life miserable if he dropped her mother, alone, into the middle of a busy, unfamiliar city. He could just _hear_ that chipper voice Sending to him at all hours asking embarrassing questions and telling terrible jokes.

He Disguised himself as a nondescript looking half-elf before they reached the gates, Madam Lavorre giving him a quizzical look, but he didn’t offer an explanation and she didn’t ask, so they silently continued into the city. Once they had walked a few blocks, Yussa pulled Madam Lavorre toward a quiet alleyway.

“Whereabouts did you plan to begin your search?” he asked. “I assume with Miss Lavorre’s father?”

Madam Lavorre bit her lower lip, fangs worrying the edges. “I think I’d rather ask around a little, if you don’t mind? I’d like to be sure that it’s necessary before I’m forced to seek him out.”

Yussa could relate to this on some level. There were people in this city he would rather not have to see himself. “I could disguise you as well, if you like,” he offered. “He needn’t know who you are.”

She seemed to consider this a few moments before shaking her head. “I think, if I must see him, I would like to do it as myself,” she said. “Jester helpfully gave me the location of his… headquarters, as well as the passcode needed to enter. No doubt she hoped that I would use it to rekindle things.” She gave a sighing sort of laugh.

Yussa was honestly unsure how to respond to this, so he cleared his throat and asked, “Did Miss Lavorre give you the names of any other locations they might have frequented during their stay here?”

Madam Lavorre’s forehead creased a touch in thought, and then she suddenly brightened. “Oh, I remember she had me send a package to her here when they visited the city last year! A hotel, I believe… The Pillow Trove? Yes.”

Yussa nodded and stepped back out of the alley, scanning until he found a small stall set up that sold flowers. “If you wait a moment, I’ll go inquire after the location of the hotel,” he told Madam Lavorre, and made his way to the ramshackled little stand. The vendor was a rather ragged young person with a repeatedly patched apron and a selection of somewhat wilted bouquets displayed in battered metal vases, and they perked up noticeably at his approach, no doubt hopeful of a prospective sale.

“Somethin’ catch yer eye, sir?” they chirped, and Yussa held up a hand.

“I’m not here for your… weeds,” he said. “I merely seek directions to The Pillow Trove. Do you know where it is located?”

The young vendor looked affronted and scowled at him.

“If you ain’t buying, I ain’t tellin’.” they said, crossing their scrawny arms.

Yussa looked around, but the only other people he saw that were obviously local were Crownsguards and he wasn’t particularly interested in talking to them without good cause. So, he fished around in a hidden pocket and produced a few coins.

“Fine,” he said, dropping them into the outstretched hand. “Now, where is it?”

“Over in the Tri-Spire district,” they said, pocketing the money. “Biggest inn we got, an’ only fancy folk can get in there.”

Yussa barely suppressed a sigh of annoyance. Of course, it _would_ be in the Tri-Spire. The only district he couldn’t enter without his magical disguise being stripped. He started to turn away when a bunch of violets was shoved into his hands. He stared down at the little flowers for a moment, then started to push them back towards the vendor.

“I don’t want your sad little posies,” he said, but they stubbornly shoved them back.

“Listen mister, my da said sell the flowers or I get no dinner. So you gotta take these. I ain’t sellin’ any else of ‘em today, so just do me a lil’ favor, awright?” They gestured towards where Madam Lavorre waited across the street, looking nervously off towards the city center. “Give ‘em ta the lady. I don’ care. Jus’ take ‘em.”

Yussa almost protested, but gave up when he saw that the raised voice of the vendor had attracted the attention of one of the Crownsguards, stalking away with the pitiful little handful of violets. Madam Lavorre’s eyes snapped back from the crowds as he stepped back into the alley entryway and landed on the flowers in his hand.

Her face softened and, much to his surprise, she reached for the little purple blooms.

“Are your thoughts occupied with love?” she said. 

He blinked. “...pardon?”

Madam Lavorre laughed. “Purple violets? We discussed the language of flowers earlier?” She brought them to her face, inhaling what Yussa was sure was no more than a memory of a floral scent.

“Ah, of course.” He shook off the momentary confusion and continued, “The vendor insisted I take them. And they informed me that The Pillow Trove is in the Tri-Spire district. It is… very high class.”

“And… that is a problem?” Madam Lavorre tucked one of the violets behind a pointed ear and quirked a perfectly arched brow.

“Well, they have some spellwork in place to strip any means of magical disguise,” he admitted, gesturing to himself.

“And you need to be disguised.”

“I would prefer to be, yes.”

He waited for her questions, but she only pursed her lips for a few moments, nodded, and took his arm. “I can take care of that,” she said, walking them back to the street.

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

“I have my ways,” she said cryptically. “Just trust me, alright?”

Yussa wondered how many times he was going to be surprised by this woman. 

“Alright,” he said.

“Thank you. Which way?”

Yussa pointed the way and they headed off, keeping to the edge of the crowded streets and making their way slowly through the Innerstead Sprawl, where the crowds thinned a bit and the drab buildings gave way to tidy shops and homes. Yussa wasn’t sure he could remember the last time he had walked this far or seen this many people, and it had been more years than he cared to admit since he’d been in Zadash. He could still find his way, but the few of the sights bore much resemblance to the Zadash he had known. Eventually, the entry to the Tri-Spire came into view, and this time, Madam Lavorre was the one to pull them into an alleyway.

“Alright,” she said, reaching to pull the hood of his cloak up over his head and adjusting it to hide the left side of his face. “For this to work, I need you to put that positively smoldering personality away for just long enough to convince those guards that you are a shy, timid individual. Do you think you can do that?”

“I…” Yussa cleared his throat. “Yes, I am quite capable of engaging in subterfuge.”

“Then we should be fine.” She stood back and seemed satisfied. “All I ask is that you let me do the talking. One word from that silver tongue of yours and the ruse will be over.”

Yussa wasn’t sure if that had been a compliment or an insult, and he was even less sure of what response to give. And Madam Lavorre wasn’t waiting for one, already gliding purposefully towards the two Crownsguards. He hurried after her, keeping his head down as the guards noted their approach.

“Hello gentlemen.” The voice that Madam Lavorre had put on was vastly different from the one Yussa had been hearing over the past few hours. Instead of the soft and lilting tone touched with a gentle playfulness, she spoke with utter confidence in the bold, bright air of one well used to commanding the attention of any audience. This was clearly her performer’s voice. And Yussa could see the second the guards happily found themselves ensnared by it.

“H-hello there ma’am,” the one, a young man barely out of his teens, managed. “How can we help you?”

“I have a private performance for a small party at The Pillow Trove this evening,” she said. “I just have a small favor to ask, if you would indulge my request?” She had pulled back her hood, her brilliant ruby hair spilling over her shoulders, framing her face as she batted her long lashes and tilted her head just a bit.

“Of course!” The young guard agreed enthusiastically. “What can I... _we_ do for you?”

“Well,” she lowered her voice into a stage whisper. “My manservant here is using a spell to disguise himself, because he has a large scar on his face.” She sighed tragically. “The poor dear is so self conscious, and I know the spell won’t work inside, so can I just ask that you not stare at him? I was the only one who would hire him, and I’m quite protective. I would so appreciate this small kindness!”

The guards didn’t even glance his way as they nodded, eager to please.

“Oh, not a problem at all ma’am!”

“Thank you, you don’t know how much that means to me.” She laid a hand on the arm of the nearest guard and he nearly combusted. Before Yussa knew it, they were walking down the beautifully kept streets of the Tri-Spire district, the guards waving to Madam Lavorre, who flashed a coy smile and pulled her hood back up to hide most of her face. She let out a shaky breath, and slipped her arm through Yussa’s again.

“That was terrifying, but I must admit, it was also the most exciting thing I have done in quite some time,” she whispered. “And you did so well! Not even a hint of a disapproving glare!”

Yussa inwardly bristled a bit at her teasing, but whatever part of his brain controlled his facial muscles decided to allow a small smile to slip out.

“Aha! So you do know how to smile!” Marion lifted a finger and _poked his cheek._

And for the life of him, Yussa couldn’t seem to be mad about it.

Not that he was _pleased,_ no, not at all.

But… he could tolerate it, he supposed.

They eventually found their way to a large, sweeping building with a sign that read “The Pillow Trove” in an elegant script and, upon entering, saw that the inside of the inn was both tastefully and expensively furnished. The young woman at the front desk looked up as they walked towards her, expert eyes appraising the high quality of Madam Lavorre’s clothing and the regal bearing that she slipped on like a second skin.

“Welcome to The Pillow Trove,” she said. “Do you have a room reservation?”

“We do not,” Madam Lavorre replied. “I am here to visit my daughter, a Miss Jester Lavorre? She sometimes uses the name Fiona Fancypants?”

Yussa wished he were surprised by Miss Lavorre’s comically silly choice of alias, but alas, having known her more than five minutes, he was not.

The look on the clerk’s face told him she knew exactly who Miss Lavorre was without checking her registration book, but she made a show of paging through it anyway.

“I’m sorry, madam, we have indeed hosted your daughter before, but she is not currently staying with us. Perhaps she has yet to arrive.”

Madam Lavorre’s face fell a bit. “Ah. I see. Well, would it be possible to leave a note for her with you, letting her know that I was here?” She produced a gold coin from somewhere unseen and laid it on the desktop.

“Of course!” The clerk swept the coin away and placed some of the inn’s stationary and a pen in front of Madam Lavorre who jotted down a note in a flowing hand and folded it before handing it back to the clerk.

As they exited the marble building, Madam Lavorre toyed with the sleeve of her dress, full lips drawn into a thin line. Anyone with eyes could see she was worried, and to be honest, Yussa was more than a little bothered about the mysterious disappearance of the Mighty Nein.

“Madam Lavorre.” He spoke quietly, softly, trying to tread as gently as he could. “Are there any other places we could go? Do they perhaps have any friends or employers here?”

She ran a hand over her face and huffed in frustration.

“I… I don’t know,” she said. “I think that there may be some sort of enchanter whose shop they frequent, but other than Jester’s father or some Assembly member, I can’t think of anyone else.”

Yussa was not about to waltz up to anyone in the Cerberus Assembly to ask after the whereabouts of the Mighty Nein. In fact, if they really had gone missing, the Assembly was at the top of his list of likely perpetrators. And to be honest he wasn’t overly keen to barge in on Madam Lavorre’s shady criminal ex-lover either. 

He sighed.

“Do you know the name of the enchanter?”

  
  



	3. The Enchanter and the Captives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marion and Yussa find their way to The Invulnerable Vagrant in hopes of finding more information on the Mighty Nein.

The Invulnerable Vagrant was a well-kept looking shop, and Marion couldn’t help but feel excited to see the place after hearing so much about the shop and its proprietor, while also wishing she were stepping through the front door with Jester at her side. She could almost hear her little sapphire’s excited voice, almost see her dashing around to point at all the wonderful things on shelves and in glass cases.

She did appreciate that she, at least, had the company of the wizard beside her, who was peering around the shop and doing a terrible job hiding the obvious curiosity on his re-Disguised face. It was interesting, seeing it lend him the air of someone less jaded and add a bit of a sparkle to his golden eyes, which were his only unchanged features.

“Hello there!”

A jovial voice called her gaze towards the other side of the shop, where a tall Firbolg who could only be Pumat Sol had emerged from the back to stand behind the counter. He wore a friendly smile on his rather bovine, gray-furred face, a heavy apron tide neatly around his ample waist.

“Welcome to the Invulnerable Vagrant!” he said in a voice that was both warm and slow as sun-touched honey. “What can I do for ya today?”

There were several moments of silence until Marion realized that Yussa was waiting for her to take the lead, and if she were not already the color of a freshly bloomed rose, she would certainly have flushed a brilliant shade of red. As it was, she felt her face heat, and she gave herself a mental shake, pushing away her anxious thoughts and slipping on The Ruby.

The Ruby was calm. She was confident. She could brave the streets of a strange city and gather information. The Ruby could find Jester and her friends.

“My apologies,” The Ruby said, gliding over to the counter. “I was so taken with your lovely shop! I have heard so much about it from my daughter.”

“Is that right?” the shopkeeper replied, his slow smile widening. “Always good to hear about satisfied customers spreadin’ the word!” He frowned a bit. “I mean… they were satisfied, I hope?”

The Ruby laughed lightly, like crystal wind chimes blowing in the gentle Nicodranas breeze.

“Oh, she’s had nothing but compliments when she’s spoken of you and your work, Mister Sol.” The Ruby leaned, just so, against the counter. “I hear that, despite being in such high demand, you still remember all your customers.”

“Aw,” Pumat mumbled, reaching up to run a hand through his messy brown curls. “Well, it’s not that hard, to be honest. We might be busy, but we don’t get all that many different customers.” He chuckled. “Quality over quantity is what I like to say.”

The Ruby nodded. “Very savvy,” she agreed.

“So, um, are ya lookin’ for anything particular? Or if you’re just lookin’ to browse, that’s just fine too.”

The Ruby glanced over to where Yussa stood a little ways away, examining something in a case. She raised her voice just a touch. “Oh, my companion… Yunaris, was especially looking forward to seeing what wares you have available.”

Yussa slowly turned towards them and made his way over to the counter.

“Indeed, I was,” he said. He had done something to alter his voice this time, matching her own accent and cadence.

“Alright then, ya got any requests?”

Yussa pursed his lips for a moment, then said, “Do you have any enchanted rings?”

“Oh,” Pumat rubbed his hands together. “We got a few real nice ones! I’ll bring ‘em up here right away.” He hurried off into the back of the shop, returning with a second, identical Firbolg who carried a small wooden box that he set on the counter.

“Here they are,” the first Pumat said. “We got a ring of Regeneration.”

The second Pumat picked up a delicately twisting gold ring in gloved fingers, turning it this way and that for them to see.

“A ring of Fire Resistance.”

His partner produced a ruby in a curling black metal setting.

“And finally, we got a ring of Shooting Stars.”

The Ruby’s eyes went wide as the final ring was lifted from the box. It was a wide metal band of a smoky color, set with deep indigo stones that seemed to contain small galaxies, glittering with light. She unconsciously reached to touch it and the Firbolg holding it pulled it away just before her fingers brushed against it.

“Ah, um, sorry ma’am,” he apologized sheepishly. “Ya just surprised me there. Did ya wanna try it on?”

“Oh.” Marion put her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry, it’s alright, I just… it’s very beautiful.”

“And it would be right at home on the hand of a beautiful lady such as yourself!” the other Pumat said enthusiastically.

Marion fastened her eyes on the floor, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re too kind,” she murmured. She attempted to take a few deep breathes, to wrestle The Ruby back into place.

“Excuse me, sir, but I believe I was the one who had requested to see these items,” Yussa’s voice cut in cooly, and as the Firbolgs stumbled over apologetic words, Marion glanced up at the wizard just as his eyes flicked towards her. Their gazes met for just a moment before he turned back to examine the jewelry being displayed before him, but something had surfaced in Yussa’s passing look.

Was that… concern that had sparked there? Marion smiled a little to herself as she wandered off to a quiet corner of the shop while Yussa talked to the Firbolgs. She had never thought of herself as one given to flights of fancy. She gifted fantasy to others as The Ruby of the Sea, but Marion Lavorre had always been a practical woman. The last time she had indulged in a fantasy of her own, she had ended up a pregnant courtesan abandoned by the man who had promised her a life and a family together. In the decades since, her only dreams had been for Jester. 

She did love being The Ruby. And she was happy and proud of the life she had built all on her own with her little sapphire. But since Jester had left to make her own way in the world, returning now and then with wild tales and amazing souvenirs, Marion had started to wonder if perhaps she had guarded herself from hurt and the outside world just a bit too closely. She had Bluud and the staff at the Lavish Chateau, of course, but they all treated her with some degree of deference as their employer. She had started to think it might be nice to have a friend whose salary didn’t depend on her. And it might be silly, but at this moment, she was starting to think that, perhaps, just maybe, Yussa might not be opposed to keeping in touch after this whole ordeal was over and they returned to Nicodranas.

After she had composed herself enough to smooth her Ruby mask over her face, she stepped back over to the counter where only one of the shopkeepers remained, the other apparently having left, carrying the box of rings with him.

“So the gentleman here says that you’re looking’ for the Mighty Nein!” Pumat said. “I’m guessin’ that means you’re Miss Jester’s mama then?”

The Ruby smiled, Marion seeping through the mask as she felt hopeful of a possible lead.

“I am! Do you have any idea where I might find her?”

“Ah…” Pumat reached to scratch his jaw. “Well like I was tellin’ your friend here, they were in here a couple of days ago. Bought up my healing potions and all the good ink and paper as usual, but I can’t say as I knew anything about what they were gonna be up to while they were here.”

“Tell her the rest,” Yussa prompted, and Pumat sighed, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Wellllll, Miss Beauregard was here just a few hours ago, and asked if I had seen Miss Jester or Mister Caleb. Apparently… she and the others were looking for ‘em.” The Firbolg wrung his hands nervously. “She didn’t say what happened, just that they had gotten separated and couldn’t find those two.”

Marion put her face in her hands and tried to quiet the racing of her heart.

“Do you have any idea where the others might be?” she vaguely heard Yussa questioning Pumat.

“Sorry, I wish I could help,” the Firbolg said apologetically. “All I can remember is Miss Jester saying somethin’ when they were here about going to see her dad?”

_Babenon._

Marion sighed, and straightened. “Thank you for your help, Mister Sol,” she said. “At least now we know that the others are likely here somewhere. Perhaps we can locate them and get some answers.”

“Best of luck, ma’am,” Pumat said kindly. “Let me know if you find ‘em, kay? They’re some of my best customers, and right nice folks. Hate to think of anything bad happenin’ to ‘em.”

Marion froze, and Yussa shot Pumat a look laced with fire.

“Oh, wow, um, sorry ma’am, I’m sure they’re alright!” the shopkeeper said quickly. “They’re a clever bunch, they can handle themselves.”

“Perhaps you ought to just stop talking,” Yussa said. “Now.”

“Right, right, sorry, um...” Pumat sheepishly backed away a bit.

Marion put a hand on Yussa’s arm. “He didn’t mean anything by it,” she murmured, and his face softened just a hint. He turned back to Pumat.

“My apologies,” he said, a bit tightly, but not insincerely.

“S’kay,” Pumat said, waving a large hand. “You were just worried about your friend. I appreciate the apology, though.”

They took their leave then, stepping back out onto the street.

“Where to next?” Yussa asked her, absently offering his arm.

Marion took it, taking comfort in his proximity and the way it helped her focus her thoughts.

“I’m not sure where to look for the others,” she admitted. “But I think that we should try to find them. They tend to stand out, so surely someone will have seen them.”

“Perhaps we could ask around near wherever Miss Lavorre’s father... operates?” Yussa suggested. “If they went to see him, it’s possible they had accommodations in that area.”

Marion nodded. “That seems as good a plan as any,” she said. “It’s in the Innerstead Sprawl, a place called The Evening Nip.”

********************

As Caleb Widogast opened bleary eyes, he struggled to adjust to the darkness around him. It was cold, damp, and the chilling edge of heavy shackles bit into his wrists where they dangled from chains pinned to the stone wall above his head.

“Cayleb?”

A small voice reached for him through the blackness, and his heart jumped in simultaneous relief and horror.

“Jester…” he whispered. “I’d thought… I’d hoped you gotten away.”

“Cayleb.” The Tiefling’s voice held a note of her trademarked teasing. “Do you really think I would let you get captured all by yourself?”

Caleb sighed. “I’m sorry. I thought I could buy you enough time to find the others. Seems like I failed.”

“Hey.”

He heard the rattle of chains as she shifted closer to him, felt her tail wrap around his ankle, and was immediately upset with himself for being so terribly happy that he wasn’t alone.

“It’s going to be okay,” she stated, clearly trying to sound confident, but the wobble in her words ruined the attempt. Being locked away in the darkness was a terror that haunted both of them, slithering from the past into their nightmares.

“Do you think the others will come for us?” Jester asked.

“They will certainly try, ja.” Caleb gave a small laugh. “I am quite sure our friends are tearing the city apart and leaving many confused citizens in their wake as we speak.”

“How many people do you think Beau has punched so far?” Jester joked.

“At least four, definitely.”

They sat quietly for a while, and then Jester spoke again.

“What do you think they want from us?”

Caleb let his head fall back against the wall.

“I think they want something from your father,” he said.

“Like what?”

“Probably his business,” Caleb said. _Or his life._

“But why would they take us? It’s not like anyone knows I’m his daughter or anything.”

Caleb shrugged. “They might think we’re some of his employees. We have done work for him in the past, and we’d just left his headquarters. It’s not much of a leap for them to assume we might have some useful information.”

Jester was silent for so long that Caleb started to feel concerned, then she sighed.

“I hope my mama isn’t worrying. I asked her to meet us at the tower, Cayleb! What if she’s stuck sitting there waiting with _Yussa?_ She’ll be worried _and_ bored!”

“Yussa is a sensible man, at least,” Caleb reassured her. “He will no doubt have sent her home long ago.”

“Well, even if he didn’t, Bluud wouldn’t leave Mama on her own for so long.” He could almost hear Jester pout. “I was really excited to see her,” she said sadly. “It’s been so long since I went home, and I had so many things I wanted to ask her!”

“You’ll still get to, Blueberry,” Caleb said. “We’ll survive this like we’ve survived everything else. If we can fight our way out of the hands of legendary, monstrous things, we can escape a few humans.”

Jester huffed. “You say that, but like, they’re pretty strong, _and_ they have something blocking us from using magic. Magic is pretty much the only way the two of us fight, so I think… I think we’re kind of a little bit in trouble, Cayleb.”

“We’ll find a way,” he insisted, sounding more sure than he felt.

Jester started to argue when the unmistakable sound of footsteps approached, and a key turned in the lock on the heavy iron door. It swung open, the sudden light of a lantern filling the room and making Caleb squint against the unexpected brightness.

“Get your hands off me!”

His eyes flew open and darted to Jester. She was kicking out at a large half orc who was trying to grab for her shackled arms, and her foot caught him in the side of the knee, his leg buckling. He roared in anger, reaching out to backhand her across the face, only to be met with her sharp little fangs sinking into his flesh.

“Fine,” he hissed, yanking back his injured appendage. “We’ll take the pale one first. Maybe some time alone will curb that nasty temper of yours.”

“Wait!” Jester’s voice was frantic as he reached for Caleb. “I’ll go, okay? Just leave him alone.”

“Jester, it’s alright,” Caleb told her. “I can handle it.”

“But you’re… you’re squishy.” Her chin trembled. “I’m stronger. If they… I can take it.”

The hulking half orc snorted. “This is all very touching, but you don’t actually get a choice,” he said, reaching to unlock Caleb’s chain from the wall and giving it a yank. Stabbing pain shot through Caleb’s shoulders, but he clamped his mouth shut tightly.

Jester screamed in Infernal as the man dragged him out the door. “If you hurt him I swear I’ll kill you!”

And then the door swung closed with a heavy thud.

  
  



	4. You’ll Find a Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yussa and Marion finally head to The Evening Nip.

The sun was just starting to inch towards the horizon when Yussa and Madam Lavorre came to a stop a few yards from a rather run-down looking dive bar. They had asked several of the people loitering in the area for information about anyone fitting the Mighty Nein’s descriptions, but all of them had stubbornly refused to do more than shrug or shake their heads. Finally, Madam Lavorre had sighed and suggested with evident reluctance that they might as well just get it over with and head to The Evening Nip.

Yussa eyed the two bouncers at the door of the bar, a large bald brute and a slim man with a wicked looking set of daggers, as Madam Lavorre paused to take a deep breath, seeming to not notice the sour stench of old ale around them.

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s go.”

She strode purposefully to the door, the only sign of any nervousness hidden in the fingers gripping his arm, the men letting them pass without a word as they stepped inside the dimly lit building.

Yussa glanced around the dark, dank interior of The Evening Nip, taking stock of the near-silent “patrons”, a heavyset man in one corner and a tattooed fellow in another, each nursing a tankard he was quite sure did not contain anything inebriating.

The bartender, a positively crotchy looking dwarf with half his wiry beard scorched off his wrinkled face, squinted at Madam Lavorre as they stepped up to the bowed wooden counter.

“Whatcha want?” he ground out in a voice that sounded every bit as old and cranky as he looked.

“Well,” Madam Lavorre tapped her chin. “What do you have?”

“We got ale.”

“Then I should like a tankard of your finest, please.”

The dwarf rolled his eyes, but produced a jug from under the counter, removing the stopper and sloshing the liquid into a suspiciously tarnished looking tankard before pushing it across the counter to Madam Lavorre.

“That’ll be three coppers.” he said.

Yussa noted the minute hesitation before Madam Lavorre spoke.

“While I have no coin, I'd be willing to offer many gifts.”

The dwarf looked neither surprised nor interested in the fact that the refined woman so clearly out of place in his hovel of a tavern had given him the password into his crime lord employer’s lair. He merely grunted, muttered something about “too many fucking visitors today,” and led them into a small storage room off to the side, shelves full of various liquors and a small chain that dangled unobtrusively in a corner. The dwarf gave the chain a tug and a trap door in the floor opened to reveal a long, curving flight of stairs. He jerked his head at the stairway, and Yussa stepped forward, mind sprinting through the spells he had prepared on the off chance something went wrong as he walked down the winding stairs followed closely by Madam Lavorre.

There were voices traveling up from below. 

Loud voices, each trying to rise above the rest.

Familiar voices.

The stairway suddenly opened into a large room with high ceilings, filled with a large group of shouting people. Their backs turned to the stairs, five members of the Mighty Nein were, unsurprisingly, the noisiest of the crowd, though the motley assortment of people around them were giving them a run for their money. Seated above them all on a slightly raised platform was a blue skinned Water Genasi man, jaw clenched, forefinger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly exasperated with the clamoring rabble he was being forced to deal with. No one had noticed Yussa and Madam Lavorre until the man raised his head and opened his mouth as if to speak when he caught sight of them. His eyes widened and whatever words he had thought to say were stolen from his mind, leaving him only able to stare soundlessly at the woman standing beside Yussa.

Those gathered around began to realize that the man’s attention was on something other than them, going quiet and turning to see what it was.

The Gentleman -for that must have been who the man was- stood up slowly.

“Marion?”

It was barely more than a murmur, and Yussa glanced up at Madam Lavorre. She smiled, tension visible at the corners of her mouth.

“Hello, Babenon.”

“What the fuck… Fjord, isn’t that Jester’s mom?” the Expositor of the Cobalt Soul whispered loudly only to be shushed by the half-Orc waving his hand at her.

The Ruby of the Sea gathered her cloak around her as if it could shield her from the stares that darted back and forth between her and the man who stood, feet seemingly frozen to the floor. Yussa waited politely for several moments before sighing and dropping his disguise.

“Holy shit, _Yussa_?” The Expositor exclaimed, and he shot her a Look before raising his voice.

“I hope you have a good reason for making me abandon my Tower for the first time in decades to bring Madam Lavorre all the way to a city I had hoped not to set foot in again for at least another century or so,” he said icily. Before any of the Mighty Nein could protest, he turned to their host.

“And you,” he continued. “Don’t stand there gaping like a fish, offer the lady a seat and a drink. It’s the least you could do after, what, twenty five years of absence?”

The Gentleman’s eyes narrowed briefly, then he sighed and seemed to slump a bit.

“Of course, you’re right.” He stepped down and made his way through the crowd that parted in front of him, coming to a stop in front of Madam Lavorre.

“We should… talk.” he said, and awkwardly offered his arm.

Madam Lavorre took it, and followed him up to one of the balconies overlooking the room.

Yussa turned to the Mighty Nein.

“Well? What foolhardy nonsense have you all gotten yourselves into this time?”

“It’s not as if we do it on purpose,” Fjord said a little defensively, but Yussa waved his hand.

“Just tell me what happened.”

The five exchanged glances. 

“Well, we came here earlier to try to get some information from the Gentleman,” the Halfling woman finally volunteered. “Jester was going to go to Nicodranas, so she and Caleb left a little before we did. I think it was maybe twenty minutes later, we were about to leave, and one of the guys from upstairs brought the Gentleman a note. It said these people had his “daughter and her friend” and that he had until tomorrow at sunset to hand over his position or there would be…” She swallowed hard. “... consequences.”

Yussa crossed his arms. “And for some reason you lot haven’t torn the city apart yet? I’m impressed, restraint isn’t exactly any of your strong suits.”

She glared at him. “For your information, we did search the city first.”

“And?”

She spread her small hands. “Nothing. Caddy even tried his locator spells, so either they’re too far away or they’ve got something to block magic.”

“I got no reply when I tried Sending to them, so likely the latter.” Yussa looked to the half-Orc. “I assume you have no plan as usual?”

“Of course we have a plan!” Fjord protested.

“Is it something along the lines of “locate the kidnappers and beat the daylights out of them?’” Yussa asked. When no one replied, he rolled his eyes. “That’s what I thought. I assume this “Gentleman” hasn’t come up with anything brilliant?”

They shook their heads.

“Has he even told you who he suspects or why?”

The tall pale woman spoke up this time. “He only said that it’s an old rival.”

Yussa shook his head. “Crime lords.” he muttered. “Nearly as bad as wizards with their pissing contests and stupid squabbles.” He glanced up to where Madam Lavorre sat stiffly across from the Gentleman, who was speaking quickly with many hand gestures.

“Why’d you bring Marion here?”

Yussa turned back to see the Nein staring at him curiously, and he couldn’t help bristling a bit at the scrutiny. “Much as it might pain me to remember, you all did save my life and I am not one to leave a debt unsettled,” he said. “So when we realized that something had likely happened to Miss Lavorre and your wizard, I offered to bring Madam Lavorre here to look for you all. In the interest of seeing my debt to you squared.”

“Because of a debt, huh?” The Expositor smirked at him disbelievingly. “You’re sure it’s not because Jester’s mom is… OW!” She was cut off by Fjord’s elbow connecting with her ribs, and she glared at the half-Orc. “What? We’re all thinking it! When has this guy ever helped us out of the goodness of his heart?”

Yussa turned on his heel and stalked away to an empty table before any of the Nein could spew more nonsense.

_Is it nonsense, though?_ his own thoughts whispered.

His eyes strayed once more to the jewel-toned woman seated on the balcony. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful. She was, of course. There was no arguing that. And he supposed that would be reason enough for many. But for him… he had seen many a peerless beauty in his life. Had been with several of them, even. None had compared to his love of the quiet, of the great indoors. Eventually, they all had grown tired of his preference for staying inside, locked away with his books and experiments, and moved on. And that had been just fine with him.

So why had he offered to leave Tidepeak Tower and trek around this godsdamned city for a woman he’d only just met?

To Yussa, the answer was simple. 

She was like him.

The longer she was out in the world, the more she longed to be back home, where everything was exactly where you’d left it and there were no nasty surprises or strangers waiting to pop out and ruin your day.

So when he had seen her standing in the field outside of the city, staring down a day alone in an unfamiliar place full of strangers all for the sake of her daughter, he just hadn’t been able to bring himself to abandon her there. He didn’t really blame the Nein for not realizing it, but he also wasn’t about to tolerate their lewd implications either.

Suddenly, Madam Lavorre stood and started back down the stairs from the balcony, the Gentleman making as if to follow her but then thinking better of it and disappearing into a doorway. Yussa went to meet Madam Lavorre at the bottom of the steps.

“Everything alright?” he asked, and noted a teardrop clinging to the edge of her long lashes. She brushed it away quickly as they were joined by the Mighty Nein, who immediately unleashed a torrent of questions.

“What did he say?”

“Is he going to help?”

“Does he know where they are?”

Madam Lavorre raised a hand, effectively silencing them.

“He says he cannot help us,” she began.

“Can’t or won’t?” The Expositor interrupted, and the pale woman beside her reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “Sorry,” the monk mumbled. “Go on.”

Madam Lavorre sighed. “Both, I think,” she said sadly. “He can’t bring himself to give up his little kingdom, not even for his daughter.”

“That soggy bastard,” the Halfling woman growled. “We should tie him up and leave him on their doorstep.”

“We don’t even know where that is,” Fjord said.

“I did convince him to give me the location he believes they are most likely to be in,” Madam Lavorre said, handing Fjord a slip of paper.

The half-Orc opened it and frowned. 

“Beau? You know where this is?”

The Expositor looked over his shoulder, squinted, and nodded. 

“Yeah, I can get us there.”

“Alright, let’s head out then,” he said, and pocketed the paper. He nodded to Madam Lavorre. “Don’t worry, Miz Lavorre, we’ll get them back.”

Yussa snorted. “You say this as if you’re going without us.”

The Nein stared at them, and then the pink haired Firbolg laughed. 

“Well, this should be interesting.”

“Cad, we’re _not_ going to endanger Jester’s mom!” The Expositor said.

“I don’t think you get to decide that,” Yussa cut in. He had seen the look on Madam Lavorre’s face when she had turned away from the Gentleman. There had been sadness in her eyes, yes, but it was nothing compared to the determination in the set of her jaw.

Now, she squared her shoulders and looked Fjord dead in the eye.

“You’re short a Tiefling and a wizard,” she said simply. “We’ll fill in until we get them back.”

“Um, no disrespect intended,” Fjord said hesitantly. “But do you have any experience?”

Madam Lavorre raised an eyebrow. “More than my daughter had when she joined your little group. And you’ve learned just how capable she is by now, have you not?”

The Nein looked sheepish, and Yussa hid a smile at seeing the group of seasoned adventurers handily reduced to a pack of scolded children.

“Alright then,” Yussa said. “Lead the way, Expositor. We can formulate a plan of action as we walk.” He offered his arm to Madam Lavorre and they turned to follow the Nein back up the staircase.

“Marion, wait!”

They looked back to see the Gentleman hurrying down the steps from his balcony and rushing over to where they stood. Madam Lavorre went rigid, but kept her face impassive as the man came to a stop in front of her.

“Marion, I… I’m sorry.” he said.

“Oh, so you’ll be helping us then?” she asked, and he fumbled for an answer.

“I… I can’t just turn everything over to them!” he said desperately. “It’s all I have! Everything I’ve built here!” He reached for her hand, pleading. “You must understand that!”

Madam Lavorre evaded his grasp, her other hand tightening around Yussa’s arm.

“What happened to you, Babenon?” she said sorrowfully. “You are not the man I thought I once knew. Or,” she gave a small, broken laugh. “Perhaps you never were.”

The Gentleman looked stung, and reached for her yet again, this time finding his hand deflected off the shield spell Yussa threw up with a hissed incantation and a snap of his fingers.

“She clearly does not want you to touch her.” Yussa said, not bothering to hide the contempt that saturated his biting tone. “How ever do you have the audacity to call yourself the Gentleman?”

“What- you- who even are you?” the Gentleman sputtered, losing the last of his composure and slamming his palm into the barrier. 

Yussa pointedly ignored him, and looked up at Madam Lavorre.

“Shall we go?”

She nodded, and they turned back to the stairs. Fortunately the Gentleman had enough sense to refrain from following them, and they were soon back in the darkening streets of Zadash.

“So, where are we going?” Fjord asked, and Beau jerked her head to the right.

“This way.”

As they followed Beau down the road, Madam Lavorre slowed her steps until she and Yussa were a few paces behind the rest of the group.

“Thank you,” she murmured, just loudly enough for him to hear. “For everything, but for that last moment, especially.”

“You’re quite welcome, though I’m confident you would have handled all of this just fine without my assistance.” He let the corner of his mouth lift in a small half-smile.

Madam Lavorre sighed. “I appreciate your confidence in me, but I am not at all certain what I’d have done without your help.”

“I saw the look on your face,” he insisted. “You’d have found a way.”

She laughed, and patted his shoulder.

“I see there’s no arguing with you on this, so I will leave it at that.” She grew sober once more, fear for her daughter fighting through the tiny cracks in the mask of calm she had plastered on.

“Do you think we’ll be able to save them?” she whispered. “Or even find them?”

Yussa hesitated.

“I will be honest with you,” he said. “I think we know far too little about the perpetrators to have even the slightest idea of the outcome. If they are able to contain both your daughter and the young wizard, they are clearly formidable and should be taken seriously.”

Madam Lavorre nodded.

“I agree. But I think perhaps I can help with that.”

“See, just as I said, you’ll find a way.”

***********

It was nightfall, and the guard at the door of the cell beneath Orchid Apothecary yawned, his shift nearly over. He didn’t know why Dalion had even bothered to post a guard here. The prisoners were spell casters, afterall, and the anti-magic chamber behind him would be more than enough to hold them on its own, not to mention the heavy chains and shackles.

He leaned against the wall, sighing, when suddenly, a loud _thud_ sounded in the room behind him. He straightened, listening carefully.

“... help.” a small voice pleaded. “ _Please, help!”_

The guard broke into a cold sweat. Dalion had explicitly stated that no serious harm was to come to the little Tiefling girl before her father’s allotted time was up. He fumbled with the keys until he found the correct one and slid it into the lock.

“ _Please hurry, I’m hurt!”_

He swung the door wide, and walked inside toward the shape of the crumpled girl in the dark corner. He heard the rattle of chains just before a heavy block of stone slammed into his face, caving in the side of his head and dropping him flat on his back in a puddle of blood and gray matter.

Jester stepped out of the shadows, wrinkling her nose as she extracted the key ring from the dead guard’s hand, trying a few keys before she found the one that opened the shackles on her wrists. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck before reaching down and dragging the guard’s body into the corner of the cell. Hopefully no one would go inside and notice the figure in the darkness was not, in fact, a small Tiefling girl. Or that there was a hole in the wall where she had ripped the stone her chains had been anchored to free. 

She walked out the door and closed it as quietly as she could, turning the key in the lock with a sigh. She could feel the magic at her fingertips again now that she was outside of that awful cell and had shed the painful shackles, and she cast a spell to disguise herself as the guard, leaning against the wall with her head down moments before another guard came down the stairs.

“Shift change,” the newcomer mumbled, and Jester nodded, pushed off the wall, and started to walk away when the other guard’s voice stopped her.

“Jarrin, you dumb fuck, gimme the keys before you run off.”

Jester groaned inwardly. She was fairly sure these were the only keys to the cell and, more importantly, the shackles, and she would need them if she was going to free Caleb.

She turned around, and held out her hand with the keys lying flat in her palm.

The second the guard’s hand touched hers, she cast Inflict Wounds.

After she had tossed the second guard’s body into the cell, she once again locked the door, disguised herself as the first guard, and headed up the stairs into what looked to be a large pantry. There was no one else in the small room, just shelves of canned and dry goods and clusters of hanging meats. Jester’s stomach rumbled and she realized how long it had been since she’d eaten.

_No time for that now,_ she thought grimly.

There were two doors, and the one with light shining from beneath it must lead further into the rest of the building. The other was heavier, and probably led outside.

Jester bit her lip.

What she really wanted to do was burst through the door into the next room and bludgeon everyone with her giant lollipop until she found Caleb, but she also knew that the rest of the Nein were still in the city, and together, they would stand a much better chance of saving their wizard.

So, she opened the heavy door, nodded gruffly to the two guards posted on either side, and walked away into the night. When she had gotten far enough away that she could be sure that no one would see or overhear her, she dropped the disguise spell and cast Sending to Beauregard.

“Beau, it’s me. Caleb and I got kidnapped, but I got away. Bring everyone to…” she looked around for a landmark. “The Raven’s Wing tavern. I’ll be waiting. And please hurry.”

  
  
  



	5. Operation Wizard Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marion and Yussa accompany the Mighty Nein to meet Jester and band together to rescue Caleb.

At some point in their hurried walk through a dark back-alley, Beauregard stopped dead in her tracks and Fjord, unprepared for the abrupt halt, barely stopped himself from colliding with her.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Nein were not so lucky, and Marion barely suppressed the small laugh that tried to escape her as the half-Orc was nearly bowled over by the three behind him. They righted themselves amongst much tripping and cursing, as well as an amused chuckle from the pink-haired Firbolg.

“What the fuck, Beau?” Veth began, and was promptly cut off by Beau speaking aloud.

“Holy shit, Jess, okay, we’re on our way, just hang in there. I think we’re like, five minutes away from there if we run, so- Ah, fuck, I ran out of words.” The monk spun around.

“That was Jester, she says that she managed to get away. Sounds like our intel was good, at least, because she’s not too far away.”

Marion breathed a sigh of relief to hear that Jester was apparently safe, and the group quickened their steps with renewed purpose. Knowing they were heading in the right direction spiked Marion’s confidence a bit, and it was reassuring to be in the company of the Nein, and that of the wizard who walked beside her. She wasn’t quite sure when their hands had found each other, but she appreciated that Yussa hadn’t made anything of it, as if he understood her need to hold onto someone, to keep herself focused and to push down the panic that whispered at the edges of her consciousness.

As they came around a corner, Beau whispered, “Jester!” as loudly as she dared, and Marion’s heart leapt at the sight of her daughter emerging from the shadows. Jester hugged Beau tightly, and the Nein crowded around her, Veth fussing over her and Caduceus casting a healing spell. Marion cleared her throat and Jester looked her way for the first time.

_“Mama?!?!”_

“Hello darling- _oof.”_ Jester nearly knocked Marion off her feet as she barreled into her and buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.

“But how did you get here?” Jester asked, and followed Marion’s glance toward Yussa.

“What the fuck, _Yussa?_ You brought my mama here? I thought you hated leaving your tower?”

“I do,” Yussa said coolly. “And every moment I am away reminds me of how true that remains.”

“Jester.” Marion’s voice held a tone of gentle warning as she reached to smooth her daughter’s thoroughly messy hair.

Jester wrinkled her nose, and sighed. “Sorry, Yussa. It was really nice of you to bring her.” She looked up at Marion, her eyes tinged with worry. “Will you be alright? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Marion hugged her daughter again. “Don’t concern yourself over me, dearest,” she said. “I may not look it, but I can handle myself when I need to. I just… haven’t needed to in quite some time.”

“Okay then.” Jester seemed to accept this, and turned back to the group, some hidden switch flipping as she became focused and serious. “So, the place is not super guarded or anything, but I think that’s probably because they have like, an anti-magic room where they were keeping us. I only saw maybe five people while I was there, but I didn’t have time to explore after that since I was trying to be sneaky.” She pointed to Fjord and Caduceus.

“You two should disguise yourselves as the two guards at the door and keep watch after we take them out. The rest of us will go in… oh, Mama, I guess you and Yussa can keep watch too? Maybe from across the street?”

“Jester, I appreciate that you want to keep me safe, but we would rather go where we’re most useful.” Marion said. 

Her daughter blinked.

“Your mother is excellent at distraction.” Yussa spoke up behind her.

Marion shot him a teasing smile. “Oh, do you find me distracting?”

“Madam, anyone in possession of a single one of their senses would find you distracting,” he replied, and Marion smirked before turning back to Jester.

“Let me take care of the guards,” she said.

“Um… okay.”

The group followed Jester down a few streets, where she motioned for them to stop and pointed around the corner of a butcher’s shop.

“It’s the one with the lights on, the tailor’s shop,” Jester said. “There are two guards at the side door that leads to some kind of pantry. They took Cayleb away earlier, I think probably upstairs. I heard footsteps up there.” Her voice stumbled a little over the wizard’s name, but she collected herself quickly, turning to Marion.

“Are you sure you want to do this Mama?”

Marion honestly wasn’t sure. She took a deep, calming breath.

“I’m sure,” The Ruby said.

“Alright.” Jester sounded dubious, but resigned. “We’ll wait for your signal.”

The Ruby stepped out of the shadows and glided across the road, Yussa following her, hood pulled low over his face. As they rounded the building, they caught sight of the two guards just before the pair noticed them.

“Oh! Hello there!” The Ruby spoke before they had a chance. “My manservant and I are quite lost. Would you be so kind as to help us?”

The guards, who had started to reach for their weapons, seemed to relax just slightly.

“Where are you looking to go?” one asked.

“I have a performance later tonight at The Pillow Trove,” she said. Easiest to stick to one story. No need for elaborate details.

The second guard elbowed the other and whispered something to him. The light from the lamps over the door they were posted at cast flickering shadows, catching on their curious faces.

“What kind of performer?”

The Ruby tilted her head. “I sing,” she said. “Sometimes followed by more… intimate performances for my favorite patrons.”

The two shared a look.

“Prove it,” the second man said. “Sing us somethin’, an’ if we think you’re good enough for the fancy folks in the Tri-Spires, we’ll tell you how to get there. Call it payment for directions.”

She dipped her head. “Very well, then.”

And The Ruby began to sing.

Her beauty might someday fade, her eyes grow dim, or her hands weak, but The Ruby trusted that her voice would never falter, and it drifted out over the guards like a net, capturing them in a moment.

When they had relaxed sufficiently, The Ruby poured long-neglected magic into her song, lyrics becoming an incantation as she focused on the larger of the two guards, hand stretching out in the gestures engraved into her mind long ago. And then he was Hers.

She ended the song and the first man clapped lightly, while his companion stared at her with glazed eyes.

She prodded at his mind, mentally commanding him to walk towards her.

He put his hands on her waist, and his friend made an appreciative sound.

The Ruby lifted her lips to his ear and whispered, “Your friend is in the way. Why don’t you get rid of him, then we can have some fun?”

He nodded dumbly, turned, and struck out at the shorter guard, landing two heavy blows to his head. The man dropped like a stone, and the Dominated guard looked toward The Ruby, waiting.

“Wonderful work!” she praised. “You are so skilled. You should meet my friends. I think we would all have a lovely time together. I’m going to call them over, and then we can all go inside and have our own little party.”

Yussa let out three short, sharp whistles and the Mighty Nein appeared quickly. They stopped when they saw one of the guards still standing.

“It’s alright,” The Ruby said. “He’s going to help us.”

The guard nodded slowly, and the Nein relaxed a bit.

The Ruby turned back to the blank-faced man.

“I heard there’s a wizard here,” she purred. “Perhaps, if we find him, he can do some party tricks for us! Take us inside.”

He swung the door open, and The Ruby swept passed him into a large pantry area. The others followed, Yasha dragging the unconscious man. The Dominated guard closed the door behind him and stood, staring. Waiting.

Yasha made short work of binding and gagging the passed out thug, tossing him behind some bundles of cloth and turning to give the group a thumbs up. She gestured to the other guard.

“Want me to tie him up, too?”

“Let’s see if he can be of any more help,” The Ruby said, turning to the man where he stood, eerily still, behind her. “Take us to the wizard,” she told him, but he only continued to stare at her. She huffed a bit in frustration and looked to Jester.

“Sorry, darling,” she said. “He doesn’t know where he is.”

Jester was looking at her with a confused, almost suspicious expression.

“Alright, we’ll just have to look around. And after all this is over, we’re going to have a talk about how you never told me you could do magic.” Jester wrinkled her nose. “Also it’s a little creepy when you use your Ruby voice when you’re talking to me. Like, don’t get me wrong, it’s great, and it’s super cool that you’re even more of a badass than I thought, but…” 

A split second too late, Marion felt her mask slipping away, and realized that she had dropped the spell. She whipped around towards the guard, who was coming out of his stupor.

“Wait, what happened… how did you?” His rising voice was cut off by a dull _thunk,_ as a crossbow bolt pierced him through the temple and he fell to the floor.

Veth loaded a new bolt into her crossbow and gestured to the door.

“Well, let’s get going, then.”

The Nein nodded and Veth cracked open the door leading to the other room. She looked back at them and shook her head.

“Empty,” she whispered. “I see some stairs to the next floor, though.”

The Nein started to creep out of the pantry towards the stairs, Jester pausing to look back when she realized her mother wasn’t following them.

Marion was staring at the body of the guard on the floor, unaware of her daughter calling to her softly.

She felt a hand on her arm, and heard Yussa tell Jester to go on ahead and that they would keep watch here. Jester must have listened, because the quiet footsteps faded away.

The hand on her arm tugged her gently away from where the body lay, pooling blood, helping her find a seat on a crate, facing away from the grisly scene. Her eyes started to focus once more, but her breath remained trapped in her throat.

She looked down. 

Her hands were shaking.

Slim brown fingers closed around her wrists, and Yussa knelt in front of her, peering calmly up into her eyes. Wordlessly, she let her forehead drop down to rest against his shoulder, and aside from a briefly startled sound, he said nothing, only maintaining his gentle hold on her wrists. It was only when she heard him counting under his breath that she realized he was taking her pulse.

“I have never longed for home so much as I do in this moment,” she whispered.

“My thoughts exactly,” he replied. “Shall we go now, or wait for them to retrieve Mister Widogast?”

Marion sighed, and lifted her head.

“I feel I must see them all safe before I can allow myself to leave,” she said. “But you needn’t wait with me. Jester can bring me home.”

Yussa seemed to hesitate, then settled himself on another crate across from her.

“I did tell Miss Lavorre we would keep watch,” he said. “Besides, I am fairly certain she will make short work of whoever was foolish enough to lay a hand on her wizard.”

  
************

Caleb Widogast was bound and gagged in a chair in the center of the room above the shop where he had been dragged earlier that evening. The half-Orc who had brought him up stood over him as the slim, pale man who sat across from them sighed impatiently.

“I don’t think he’s gonna talk, boss,” the half-Orc said. He pointed at where Caleb’s sleeves had been pushed back. “Looks like he’s seen worse than us.”

The pale man studied the many scars that crisscrossed the wizard’s forearms and gave a low whistle.

“No wonder he’s been so quiet,” the man mused. “You could likely hit him until he goes unconscious and he wouldn’t make a sound.” He gestured to the door. “Go get my instruments. I think with a little creativity and experimentation we can find a way to loosen his tongue.”

Caleb closed his eyes, steadying his breathing and readying every anti-toture technique he had learned. If anyone had to go through this, at least it was him, the one who had been trained for such circumstances.

He heard the half-Orc’s footsteps move across the room and the door start to swing open, only for it to be interrupted by a gurgling sound.

His eyes flew open just in time to see the half-Orc keel over, Beauregard leaping over the prone body with her fists raised and crackling with lighting. The rest of the Nein barreled into the room after her, and the moment he caught sight of Jester, whole and unharmed and _pissed the fuck off,_ Caleb slumped forward against the ropes that held him to the chair in relief.

Then an arm wrapped around his face, wrenching his head back and blacking out his vision. He felt the cold edge of a blade against his throat.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

“Drop your weapons,” the pale man’s voice hissed next to his ear. “Now, or your friend dies.”

He heard the clatter of metal and wood against the floor.

“I assume you’re Dalion?”

Fjord’s voice.

“Whatever grievance you have with the Gentleman is none of our concern,” he continued. “So why not just let our friend go?”

“What’s to keep you from killing me once I do?” the pale man, Dalion, snarled.

“I’m afraid all I can give you is my word,” Fjord said.

The blade pressed harder, biting into Caleb’s neck so unexpectedly that he couldn’t stop the small gasp of pain that broke past his lips.

“That’s not good enough,” Dalion said. “Leave now, or I slit his-”

His words cut off with a gagging sound, his arm falling away from Caleb’s face as he collapsed onto his knees.

Jester stepped from behind Yasha, striding over to the kneeling man, grabbing him by the hair, and punching him squarely in the face.

“I told your minion if you hurt him, I’d kill you,” she said. “And I don’t break my promises.”

And she hit him full force with her handaxe.

Dalion fell to the ground unmoving, and Jester turned to Caleb, reaching for the ropes around him and tearing at the knots. Caleb’s heart constricted as two, fat tears rolled down Jester’s face.

“Jester,” he said. “It’s alright. I’m alright.”

She struggled harder with the stubborn knots as her tears came faster.

“Jester?”

Her hands were shaking.

“Here, Jess.” Veth held out a dagger, and Jester grabbed it, viciously sawing through the ropes until they fell away. She produced a ring of keys and managed to unlock the shackles around his wrists, letting them clatter to the floor and kneeling in front of him. Her hands hovered over his bruised and bloodied face for a moment, before she turned with a pleading look to Caduceus, who stepped forward, stopping to squeeze her shoulder before touching a gentle hand to Caleb’s head and casting a healing spell. The moment it ended, he stepped away and said, “We’ll head downstairs and let your mother know everything is okay.”

And he herded the others out of the room, Veth protesting and being kindly but firmly shushed as the door shut behind them.

Jester still knelt, head down, and Caleb reached out to touch her chin.

“Jester?” He murmured. _“Liebstes Herz._ Are you alright?”

He tilted her chin up and she met his eyes. Her face crumpled and she broke into loud sobs.

“Oh… oh no.” He fumbled with his words. “Jester, I’m so sorry.”

“Why are _you_ sorry?” she wailed. “It’s my fault you got hurt! I should be saying sorry to you!”

Caleb felt his own eyes smart and he slid off the chair and gathered her into his arms.

“Listen to me,” he said softly. “It was not your fault. You did not ask to be the daughter of the Gentleman, and you did nothing to make those awful people kidnap us.” He pulled back enough to cup her face in his hands. “It is, however, because of you that I am alive and well,” he said. “You are one of the bravest, strongest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Jester Lavorre, and I don’t intend to let you forget it.”

She hiccupped and gave him a shaky smile.

“I guess I was pretty cool, huh?”

He laughed. “The coolest. How did you get away?”

Jester shrugged. “I kept chipping at the mortar around the rock in the wall the chains were anchored to until I could pull it out. Then I got the guard to come inside and I hit him in the face with it.”

Caleb blinked. “You… tore the stone out of the wall.”

“Yep.”

He shook his head. “You will never cease to amaze me.” He produced a handkerchief from his back pocket and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose noisily.

“Did I hear Caduceus say your mother is here?” Caleb asked, and Jester nodded.

“She is! I guess she got Yussa to bring her here? They’re keeping watch downstairs. Did you know my mama can do magic? She used it to control one of the guards!”

“She must be quite powerful if she convinced Yussa to leave his tower,” Caleb remarked as they made their way out the door. He paused.

“Jester?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for coming back for me.”

She took his hand and smiled up at him.

“Of course, Cayleb. I won’t ever leave you behind, okay?”

He squeezed her fingers.

“Okay.”

  
  
  
  


Picture: Marion casts Dominate Person while Yussa watches and slips further into simp-mode.


End file.
